Akhilesh Yadav, the chief of the Samajwadi Party (SP), expressed support for reserving one-third of seats for women in Parliament and state assemblies. However, he strongly opposed the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) efforts to implement the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam 2023 without conducting a fresh caste-based census. Yadav accused the BJP of orchestrating a 'massive conspiracy' aimed at sidestepping updated caste data, which is essential for ensuring political representation for backward classes. As the Parliament prepares for a special three-day session starting Thursday, where amendments to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam will be discussed, Yadav highlighted the urgency of conducting a census to accurately reflect caste demographics. He criticized the BJP for its silence on the representation of women from backward classes and described the government's push for the amendment as a tactic to avoid necessary census-based reforms. Historically, the SP has maintained that any women's reservation must include provisions for Other Backward Classes (OBC) women, a stance rooted in its legacy under Yadav's father, Mulayam Singh Yadav. The party's consistent demand is that women's quotas should be supported by updated caste data to ensure equitable representation.